Dry-dock system.



J. LAKE.

DRY DOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED nec. I6. 191e.

l ,272,679. v Batented July 16, 1918.

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J. LAKE.

DRY DOCK SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16| 1916.

l 5 I Z Patented July 16, 191,8.

l mai Wwf? bers 1 and 2 are completely cut off or isolated one from the other andveither may be filled with water while the other remains empty. 1n this latter case, the opening of the said valves immediately establishes communication andthe water flows from one chamber to the other until the same level is reached in each.

The dock chambers 2 and 3 are similarly connected by the conduits 10 which are respectively controlled by the valves 11 having stems 12 and hand operating means 13 .as will readily be understood. As the func- .from the bottom of the respective chambers Y ily understood by reference to Figs. 5, 6.

Y sented diagrammatically and each ligureV and are preferably located at opposite ends of the chambers to facilitate rthe* flow of water and'more quickly lower the water level in the :chamber desired. Each con-V duit 14 Vhas a control valve 15 preferably operated by the respectivehandwheels 16 from an exterior location.

ln Fig. L1 a modification of the valve operating means is shown wherein the conduit control( valve is electrically operated by the motor 17 which has its switch 18 in a convenient location. The valve 19 is otherwise similar to valves 6,11 and 15'but is equipped with a rack and pinion movement 20-to transmit motion fromthe motor as will be understood. Y

rlhey operation of the system will be readand 7 wherein a series of docks are repre-` representsV a step in thel operation of discharging the water from the dock which has received' a vessel.

Referring first to Fig. 5, it will 'be seeny Vthat'the dock chamberv 1 is `full to the sea level and aship may'therefore befloated` into position within the' chamber, the sea gatesclosed ,andv the water is then to be withdrawn from the chamber 1. In this ligure lall fof the valves are closed as will be understood. In order Vto withdraw the l water, the valve or valves 6 controlling the conduit 5` leading to chamber 2 are opened while the valve or valves 15 remain closed.

Communication is nowhad betwee'nfthe two chambers l and 2 and the water flows by gravity from the one to the .other until af cominonflevel is reached.V This operation lowers'the water'to'a considerable extent in chamber l and by this rstI step practically one-half of the ordinary-pumping:operation vhas been eliminated. In thenext stepV which is to further reduce the water level Y trated in the present example of the opera` Y tion of the system, the small quantity of water remaining in chamber 1 must be pumpedsout by the usual means. The vessel therefore which has entered dock chamber l is now in dry dock ready forthe repair work and thev said chambenl is completely Vcut 'off from chambers 2 and 3 by the closing of the valves 6 and 15. -Y

Shouldit now bedesired to docka lvessel in chamber. 2, the latter is filled tothe sea level by admitting water into itin thelordifnary manner and after it has'lreached the normal level, the sea gates arevopened, the vessel iioated vinto position, the 4sea gates closed `and the dock is noweready to have the Awater drawn or pumped out. The first step in thisoperation is to open the valve or valves 11 to establish communication with the chamber 3, thus allowing a considerable volume ofthe waterin chamberr2 to flow into chamber?) and after the same level is reached the'valve-or valves 11 are closed and the balance of the water in 'chamber 2 pumped out to complete thedocking operation. vThe foregoing operation is substantially repeated for the docking of a vessel in chamber 3, thoughvwhere as in the illustration justfgiven" there are only three' docks.- and two are now holding a ship in dry dock, 1 it will of course be'necessary to` pump sub-. stantially all ofthe water fromthe dock chamber 3, though in actual practice there are usually adjacent docks-intowhich the water from this last chamber lmay be discharged finnthe manner previously described. In some instances, 'it mayvoccur that in a series of docks there vmay lbeone considerably smaller'than another and consequently the volume of vwater discharged from a small docklwill beinsuicient to ll alarger dock to a depthsuficiently great -to interfere with the repair 'work-.which is proceeding upony a vessel inthat latter'dock. Thus, Vfor example, a'large vessel which hashad itsshellplates repaired andlthefwork being done is well up on the body of the vessel, the' water admitted from a small dockwould'not rise sufficiently high to interfere with the work being done. Itf'will, of course,zbe under'- stood that the'best resultsffrom the use of the system are attained by careful'planning of the work t0 be done on any vessel andthe timingl of receiving .andr discharging the. vessel. With a large'docking "systemf the schedule `for receiving and discharging/the vessels becomes exceedingly simple yand the` duits. While I have in the present instance Y shown a pair of conduits between each adjacent pair of chambers, it will be understood that my invention is not limited in yany way to the precise number or to the exact location of any such conduits as this is a matter dependent upon level conditions or the particular dock arrangement. It will also be understood that the location of the valves for the several conduits as shown is merely by way of example and I do not wish to be restricted to the exact type shown or the position of the operating means.

It will be apparent that in a large docking system, a considerable number of combinations are possible Where the dock chambers are interconnected in accordance with my invention and it is possible to so schedule the operations that one dock may always be flooded and in receiving condition while others are simultaneously ready to discharge a vessel 0r vessels.

The method of my invention therefore consists of employing gravity as a means to empty or partially empty a flooded dock, then utilizing the discharge water in a companion dock chamber and timing the steps to meet conditions so that the receiving,

floating and discharging of vessels may take place substantially simultaneously.

What I claim is:

l. In a dry-dock system, a plurality of docking chambers for vessels arranged to fill by gravity from a natural level supply, one of said docking chambers being normally open to said supplv and the others normally closed thereto and empty, separate conduits aording communication between each two adjacent chambers, an independent auxiliary conduit connecting the end chambers, and means for controlling said conduits.

2. In a dry-dock system, a plurality of dockinoV chambers' for vessels arranged to lill by gravity from a natural level supply, one of said docking chambers being normally open to said supply and the others normally closed thereto and empty, separate conduits affording communication between each two adjacent chambers, an independent auxiliary conduit connecting the end chambers, valve means for controlling the first-named conduits, and independent valve means for controlling the independent auxiliary conduit and causing gravity ilow from the one end chamber to the other.

JOI-IN LAKE.

Witness ROBERT M. BARR.

Gopies` of this patent maybe obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

